Blood of a Brother
by Deana
Summary: Legolas and Gimli take Aragorn on a much needed trip to relax from the stress of being King. But naturally, it doesn't go as planned when the three friends get into big trouble along the way...
1. Yay! Vacation!

**Blood of a Brother: Hard-Headed Elf**  
A Lord of the Rings story by Deana Lisi  
Disclaimer: I don't own Legolas, Aragorn, Gimli, Faramir, or any other LOTR character.  
Hey everyone! Here's my new story! ;) Before we get into that, though, I wanted to show you some limericks that I wrote! I'll post one with each chapter!

This one is for Karri, about her beloved King Thranduil:

There once was a Mirkwood King  
Who did not have a magic ring  
His strength was in arm  
And also in charm  
'specially when he started to sing.

LOL on with the story!

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"Come, lads! We do not have all day!"

Legolas and Aragorn shot each other frustrated looks as they followed their friend. The elf and dwarf had come to Minas Tirith to visit Aragorn and drag him away—temporarily—from his stressful life as Gondor's King. Gimli was very enthusiastic, as it had been a while since he'd seen Aragorn, and he was very much looking forward to their trip.

"We come, friend Gimli!" said Legolas. He looked at Aragorn with a mischievous gleam in his eye. "You'd never know that his legs were so short."

Gimli turned around, from his position about twenty feet ahead of them. "Aha, _friend_ elf!" he said. "Did we just hear you admit that I—a dwarf—am faster than you?"

Legolas raised his eyebrows. "No, you heard me say that your legs are short."

Aragorn laughed.

Gimli gave the elf a mock-angry look. "Short they may be, but I shall still reach the stables before you!"

With that, the dwarf ran off.

"Finally, he is gone," said Legolas, jokingly.

Aragorn smiled at his friend as they walked. "What is this trip to entail?"

Legolas shook his head. "Anything that you wish. Relaxation, hunting, throwing Gimli into every lake that we pass…"

Aragorn laughed again. How badly he'd needed this trip. "Hannon le. You always know what I need, my friend, often even before _I_ do."

Legolas smiled back, warmly.

"Even a hobbit could outrun you!" they suddenly heard.

Legolas groaned at the dwarf's words.

Aragorn couldn't help but chuckle. "And a human!" he said, surprising Legolas by suddenly breaking into a run.

Legolas watched his friend run off, and suddenly heard Gimli's bellowing laugh. His pride was at stake now, so Legolas took off after him.

Aragorn laughed as he reached the stable, almost tripping when Gimli grabbed his arm and pulled him in before slamming the door.

A loud _thump_ was suddenly heard, and Aragorn's jaw dropped. "Gimli! You didn't!"

The dwarf laughed so hard that he nearly fell over, not even noticing when Aragorn opened the door.

Legolas looked up from where he sat on the ground, clutching his left wrist. He gave his human friend a bewildered look, before casting angry eyes on the laughing dwarf.

"I cannot believe that you did that, Gimli!" Aragorn said, kneeling beside the elf.

It was only then that Gimli noticed their friend sitting rather than standing. Halting his laughter, he walked forward, frowning.

"Is it broken?" Aragorn asked, gingerly touching Legolas' wrist.

Legolas shook his head, carefully flexing it. "No, likely just sprained." He looked at the dwarf again, confused now more than angry.

"I—you—!" Gimli stuttered.

Legolas said nothing, just staring at him as Aragorn looked for something to use as a splint.

"I didn't think you'd be hurt!" Gimli exclaimed, horrified. "I was sure that you would see the door close before you reached it!"

"I was running too fast," said Legolas, as Aragorn returned. "By the time you closed it, it was too late for me to stop." He winced as the human manipulated his wrist to feel for himself if anything was broken.

"Forgive me!" Gimli said, contrite. "If I'd known this would happen…"

"Stop," Legolas said, cutting him off. "I think my pride was hurt worse than anything."

Aragorn nonchalantly glanced around, looking to see if anyone had seen the incident. Lucky for Legolas, there was no one in sight.

Gimli, feeling useless just standing there, picked up Legolas' pack, as Aragorn wrapped the elf's wrist with a piece of bandage from his bag of healing supplies. "Does it hurt much?" Gimli asked, dreading the answer.

Legolas shook his head as Aragorn helped him up. "No. It will heal fast."

The dwarf was relieved. "I really am sorry," he said, hanging his head.

"I know," said Legolas, patting his friend's shoulder as he walked into the stable.

Gimli sighed, angry at himself and embarrassed at having done something so terrible to his friend.

Once mounting their horses, the trio rode off to the northwest.

Gimli still felt guilty, and tried to strike up a conversation. Unfortunately, he couldn't think of anything to say. "The weather is perfect for a trip like this!" he blurted; his words making him feel even more foolish.

Legolas seemed to know what the dwarf was trying to do. "Indeed it is," he agreed. "Lead on, Aragorn," he said. "This is your opportunity to do anything that you would like."

The human nodded. "We go in the right direction then, for the Grey Wood is the ideal place for relaxation."

"Aye," Legolas agreed. "Full of trees…thickets…_lakes_…"

Aragorn chuckled, and Gimli felt like he'd missed something, especially when the human smiled at him.

"And what is this?" Gimli asked. "Some fell plot, I assume? Hatched by the elf?"

In front of him on the horse, Legolas turned slightly. "Of course, who else?"

Gimli rolled his eyes, pretending that he didn't care, but inwardly looking forward to whatever mischief Legolas had planned.

After riding for about twenty miles, they reached the White Mountains.

"We should do some exploring!" Gimli suddenly said. "There could be tunnels and caves containing many interesting things of worth!"

Legolas looked at Aragorn with an amused expression. Seemingly every time the two of them entered a cave, something terrible happened.

Aragorn smiled at his friend, and looked at Gimli. "There are indeed many caves, but I have yet to hear of anything of worth in them."

"Ah, lad," said Gimli. "That is because you are not a dwarf!" With that, he hopped—or rather, fell—off Legolas' horse, and began to climb.

"Gimli," said Legolas, smiling. "There _are_ pathways up the mountain."

Gimli slipped, and fell onto his rear. "I meant to do that," he said, quickly scrambling up.

Legolas chuckled and lifted his left hand to pull Gimli back up, but laid it in his lap again when he realized that his wrist would never hold the dwarf's weight. Speaking a command to Arod, the horse turned around, and Legolas held out his right hand instead.

Gimli inwardly sighed as a pang of guilt hit his stomach. Reaching up, he accepted Legolas' help and sat behind him, holding on when the horse began the steep climb.

"Which cave catches your fancy, master dwarf?" Legolas asked.

Gimli looked around, trying to spot what the elf's keen eyes could see. "A remote one. One that would not be often explored."

A rumble of thunder interrupted his words, and the three friends looked around with surprise. The mountains had served to hide the dark clouds that announced the approach of a storm.

"It appears that your idea may have been a convenient one, Gimli," said Aragorn.

Gimli nodded, not wishing to get wet.

The three friends climbed higher and higher, going off the path and finding a cave that met with Gimli's approval.

"We picked the right one, laddies!" said the dwarf, walking to the back of the cave. It turned into a tunnel that sloped downwards, and Gimli ran down it, completely unafraid.

Legolas and Aragorn descended more slowly, the elf's senses on alert, hoping to recognize possible trouble before it came upon them unawares.

"Well bless me beard!" they suddenly heard.

Legolas chuckled, walking faster until he stopped in surprise at the sight that had entranced the dwarf.

The end of the tunnel lead into a massively-large hollow cavern, so vast that the three friends were momentarily shocked.

"An entire army of orcs could live in here!" said Gimli, turning in a circle.

"Let us hope that none do," said Aragorn, looking at Legolas.

The elf shook his head as he looked around. "I do not sense the presence of orcs, nor do I smell their lingering scent. There is nothing here to suggest that this cavern is occupied."

As he spoke, a sudden explosion shook the mountain, and thunder rumbled loud enough to hurt their ears.

"Ai!" Gimli exclaimed, thrown off balance.

Legolas knew what it meant. "Lightning has struck the mountain!" he exclaimed, watching in horror as the ceiling began to crumble. "Run!"

The others obeyed, trying desperately to avoid tripping as a wall of rock slid towards them. The floor of the cavern gained height as the rubble began to accumulate, and the three friends acquired many bruises on their legs as they tried to stay above it.

They ran to the other side of the mountain, for there was a hill that led to another opening that would be safer than the tunnel that they had come into the cavern through.

Thunder suddenly sounded again, heightening their anxiety.

"Run!" Aragorn shouted.

It was an unnecessary command, for the dwarf and elf were going as fast as they could, desperate to stay ahead of the tumbling rock.

Legolas brought up the rear, putting himself in the most danger as he watched to ensure that his two friends kept their footing. It may have been better had Gimli been in his location instead, for the huge rock that suddenly crashed into the elf's head would've sailed harmlessly over the shorter dwarf.

Gimli heard the elf's sudden gasp and turned to see what was wrong. "Legolas!" he shouted, reaching out to grab his friend.

Aragorn turned around at the shout, to see Gimli grab onto Legolas' cloak as the elf slid. He reached out and grabbed Gimli, preventing the dwarf from being pulled after Legolas.

The Prince of Mirkwood jerked to a halt thanks to his friends' grip.

Aragorn fought to keep his footing as the rockslide continued around them. "Pull him up before he strangles!" he exclaimed.

Gimli pulled on the elf's cloak, fighting inward panic as they literally pulled Legolas up by his neck, praying that the brooch holding the cloak around Legolas' throat wouldn't give way and send the elf to his death…or stab him…

TBC

Oh man, what a terrible place to end the chapter, LOL! I had no choice though; it would've been waaay too long otherwise. (Runs from readers) Remember in the extended edition of ROTK when the sea of skulls crashed down around Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli? I kept thinking to myself that it was totally impossible for no one to get hurt during that, so this story is my rant, LOL! Stay tuned! ;)


	2. HardHeaded Elf

Hi everyone! Here's limerick number 2!

There once was a Mirkwood Prince  
Whose face always showed a wince  
After meeting Estel  
His life became hell  
And he kept getting hurt ever since.

LOL that one's my favorite! ;)

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Gimli pulled on the elf's cloak, fighting inward panic as they literally pulled Legolas up by his neck, praying that the brooch holding the cloak around Legolas' throat wouldn't give way and send the elf to his death…or stab him.

Aragorn reached out and pulled Legolas the rest of the way up, practically dragging Legolas along as he once more began to run, unfastening the elf's brooch with his other hand in case it was impairing his friend's breathing.

The cloak was left in Gimli's hands, and he grabbed Legolas' other arm as they hurried along.

Reaching the exit, they ran back outside the mountain, quickly falling to their knees on the ground.

"Legolas!" Aragorn shouted, holding the elf by his shoulders.

Legolas gave no answer, his head limply hanging forward.

Gimli dropped the cloak and grabbed his friend's head, lifting it so they could see into his face.

Legolas' eyes were open, but only halfway. He looked dazed, blinking repeatedly as his head lolled almost drunkenly. The left side of his face and head were bleeding from many small cuts, but Aragorn knew that the bruising that was soon to erupt would be much worse.

"Legolas," said Aragorn, anxiously looking into his friend's eyes. "Can you hear me?"

The elf said nothing.

Gimli wrapped an arm around Legolas' shoulders and began to lower him to the ground, but Aragorn stopped him.

"No, we do not wish him to lose consciousness. Just hold him steady in case he falls."

Gimli obeyed, watching as Aragorn gently turned Legolas' head to get a good look at his eyes. "Concussion?" the dwarf asked.

Aragorn nodded, with a sigh. "Definitely. Could you build a fire, please?"

Gimli nodded, making sure that Aragorn had a tight grip on Legolas before he let go of the elf. Running towards a crop of trees, he grabbed the small branches that had been victims of the storm's wind, before suddenly realizing that rain had yet to fall. Thunder suddenly rumbled again, and a jolt of fear stabbed his stomach at the thought that they were not safe out there from nature's wrath.

He brought the wood back to his friends, watching Legolas while he built the fire.

Legolas' eyes were now closed, and his head was leaning against Aragorn's shoulder.

Aragorn had one arm around the elf, and with his other hand was rummaging through his bag of healing supplies. "Here," he said to Gimli, tossing him a small pan and waterskin.

Gimli caught them and poured water into the pan, sitting it on a rock at the edge of the flames. Then he brought the waterskin back to Aragorn.

The human held a cloth over the wounds that his friend had obtained; waiting a minute before he pulled it away and watched to see how quickly more blood welled up. Legolas was thankfully not bleeding badly; the rock must have been more smooth than jagged. He handed the dwarf another piece of cloth, and Gimli poured water on it before handing it back.

Looking at Legolas, Aragorn gently wiped away blood and dirt from his skin. There was a large red mark covering the elf's temple, part of his forehead, and the side of his cheekbone, very close to his eye. If the piece of stone had been any bigger than it was, he might've lost his vision.

Aragorn sighed, lowering his head to look into his friend's face. "Legolas?" he said.

The elf said nothing, but the way that his eyes were scrunched up from pain showed the human that he was miraculously conscious.

"Anything that I can do?" Gimli asked, his hand on Legolas' arm.

Aragorn nodded. "Fetch me the pan, please."

Gimli obeyed, grabbing it and bringing it back.

Aragorn took it, dropping some leaves in and pouring it into a cup. "Sit him up," he said.

Gimli gently took Legolas' arm and carefully pulled him off Aragorn's shoulder, worriedly watching the elf's eyes scrunch up tighter from the movement. "Say something, laddie!" Gimli said, frightened at his silence.

Legolas opened his eyes and looked at him—or, tried to, anyway—before closing them again. "I am…all right…" he whispered. His face suddenly turned green, enough for Gimli to notice.

"Aragorn!" he said.

The human poured water from the waterskin into the drink to make it cooler, and looked up at Gimli's call. He quickly saw the reason; Legolas' jaw was clamped shut and he had a hand on his stomach. "Drink this," he said, quickly bringing the cup to his friend's lips.

Legolas turned greener and made a noise that sounded like a strangled groan. He started to turn his head away, but the pain made him quickly change his mind.

"It should not make you ill," said Aragorn. "It will help."

Legolas opened his eyes slightly and shakily reached out a hand, trusting his friend. However, the motion only showed them that the elf was having trouble seeing, for Aragorn was not kneeling where Legolas thought.

Aragorn took the hand and lowered it, holding the cup for him.

Legolas drank the medicine slowly, inwardly begging his stomach not to revolt. At first, the concussion-induced nausea intensified, but then it gradually subsided.

Legolas gave a relieved sigh, and Gimli patted his arm.

"How many of me do you see, Legolas?" Aragorn asked.

The elf opened his eyes again, lethargically blinking at his friend. "Too many," he answered.

Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled again, making Legolas close his eyes with a groan. Thick drops of rain started to intermittently fall, and Aragorn started to pack up his supplies. "We have to go back into the mountain."

Gimli opened his mouth to protest, before realizing that the rockslide had stopped. He was so worried about his friend that he hadn't noticed the cessation of the ear-splitting noise.

Aragorn scooped Legolas into his arms before the elf could try to stand. The human was inwardly shocked when the Mirkwood Prince made no protest at being carried.

Entering the mountain again, they surveyed what the rockslide had done. It looked like a pool of rock, and the ceiling was now much taller that it had been before, despite the fact that the floor of the massive cave was now higher.

Aragorn gently lowered Legolas down, leaning him against the cave wall. The elf was breathing heavily, his pain made worse from the movement.

Gimli sat beside Legolas, just as the clouds loosed a downpour.

Aragorn checked the elf's head again; glad to see that the smallest cuts had stopped bleeding.

Legolas suddenly mumbled something, and Aragorn bent his head lower. "What did you say, mellon-nin?"

"Why?" Legolas repeated in a whisper. "Why is it always my head?"

Aragorn had been wondering the same thing. "I wish I knew, my friend." He gave a wry grin. "Mayhap someone is trying to knock some sense into you."

"Or maybe it's because you're nearly as tall as the trees, and your head keeps getting in the way!" said Gimli, attempting to lighten Legolas' mood. "Or perhaps those pointy ears of yours attract too much attention."

Legolas smiled slightly at their jests, but he winced when thunder shook the mountain. He abruptly started sliding towards Aragorn, who grabbed his arm to keep him upright.

The human and dwarf's hearts nearly stopped when Legolas' head fell forward.

"Legolas!" Aragorn exclaimed, lifting his friend's head up. "Legolas, answer me!"

But the elf said nothing, finally losing his battle to remain conscious.

Aragorn muttered something in elvish that Gimli couldn't understand, gently laying Legolas down.

"Will he be all right?" the dwarf nervously asked.

Aragorn picked up Legolas' uninjured wrist to check his pulse. He found it fast and weaker than normal, but not dangerously so. He then lifted the elf's eyelids to see how his pupils reacted, but it didn't work well with the low light of the cave. "I believe so," he told Gimli.

Gimli let out a huge sigh of relief. "The laddie has a hard head."

Aragorn smiled slightly. "Indeed he does."

Seeing Legolas' cloak lying beside Aragorn's healing pack, Gimli grabbed and folded it, gently placing it under Legolas' head.

Thunder suddenly shook the cave again, and the two friends looked to the exit, watching the torrential rain.

"Well," said Gimli. "So much for a relaxing journey."

TBC


	3. Sleepy Leggy

Hey everyone! Here's limerick number 3! It's kinda part 2 to last chapter's limerick, lol!

To Mirkwood a human came  
Aragorn was his name  
He was Legolas' friend  
Who he always had to tend  
But his own hair he could not tame!

lol ;)

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The first thing that Legolas became aware of was pain. His head felt encased by it and he was reluctant to move, fearing to increase it.

A sudden sigh sounded and a hand took his right wrist.

Aragorn counted the pulse for a few seconds, before laying the elf's arm back down. "He will wake soon, Gimli, fear not."

But Gimli sighed again. "It is a difficult wait."

Aragorn nodded, but his eyebrows shot up when a new voice spoke.

"Forgive me, mellon-nin…I am awake."

"Legolas!" Gimli exclaimed, grabbing onto his friend's arm. "How do you feel? Are you in pain?"

Legolas reached up a hand and gingerly touched the side of his head, flinching at the feel of very tender skin and many small cuts. He wondered how many colors the skin had become.

Gimli sighed, not needing an answer to his question.

Aragorn had a cup of herbs ready, and he gently slid an arm under his friend and pulled him up high enough to drink.

Legolas gasped when everything started spinning, even with his eyes still closed. He felt as if his body was actually going in circles, and he choked on the medicine.

Aragorn pulled the cup away, waiting for the elf to get his bearings. "Forgive me," he said.

Legolas gave no reply, lying limply in his friend's arm, eyes squeezed shut tightly and his breathing labored.

Gimli shot a nervous look at Aragorn, concerned at the obvious severity of their friend's injury.

Aragorn returned the look.

Legolas opened his eyes slightly, looking up at Aragorn before closing them again.

The human recognized it as an indication that the elf was ready, and held the cup to his lips again.

Legolas drank the medicine slowly, inwardly sighing with relief when Aragorn laid him back down again. "How long?" he asked.

"You were unconsciousness for about six hours," Aragorn told him.

Legolas sighed at the news, bringing up his right hand and covering his forehead and eyes. "Ai," he whispered. "Forgive me, Aragorn."

The human frowned. "For what?"

"For ruining our trip," Legolas said, forcing his voice to sound stronger.

Aragorn shook his head, before realizing that the elf couldn't see it. "No, mellon-nin, do not apologize. The fault is not yours. Besides, this is just like old times."

Legolas moved his hand and opened one eye, able to at least make out a blurry smile on Aragorn's face—or rather, Aragorn's _faces_. "Your humor astounds me," he mumbled.

Gimli looked from one to the other as his friends spoke. "Old times?" he said. "I should like to hear some of those stories!"

Legolas groaned, and they were unsure if it was from pain or the dwarf's words.

Aragorn shot Gimli a grin. "I would be happy to tell you, but I do not think that now is the time; much talking will only aggravate Legolas' pain."

"Yes," Legolas said, admitting it only to prevent the human from telling embarrassing stories of their past mishaps. "Please hush."

Aragorn was aware of the elf's motive, but Gimli wasn't, and he gently patted Legolas' arm. "Just rest, my friend," said the dwarf. "We will be silent."

Legolas sighed and gave an uncharacteristic shiver. It surprised him to suddenly feel cold, and he wondered if his injury had caused a slight case of shock.

Aragorn saw his friend shiver and frowned, wondering the same thing. Grabbing one of his packs, he pulled out blankets and draped them over the cloak that already covered the elf. "Just lie still and rest," he said, unnecessarily.

Legolas closed his eyes, willing himself to ignore the pounding inside his skull. He wished that he could sleep, but he knew that the nature of his injury made it too dangerous. He suddenly thought of something that made him reopen his eyes. "The horses?"

Aragorn sighed. "We have no way of knowing what became of them. The tunnel that we came through has been blocked by the rockslide. We cannot go through it again."

Legolas sighed at that, re-closing his eyes.

"They are probably fine," said Gimli, not wanting Legolas to add mental worry to his injury-stressed body. "I would wager that they are on their way back to Minas Tirith, and the entire Gondor army will soon come looking for us."

"We are used to that, Legolas, are we not?" said Aragorn.

Legolas gave his friend a lopsided half-grin. "Unfortunately."

Gimli looked from one to the other. "Again, you taunt me with allusions to past mishaps! You might as well regale me, Aragorn, for you are talking despite Legolas' pain, and we need some way to keep him awake anyhow!"

Legolas sighed, but offered no further protests as Aragorn finally obliged the dwarf and began his story.

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Hours later found Legolas miserable. He was exhausted, dizzy, and in pain, despite Aragorn's healing herbs. He couldn't keep his eyes open—something that he hated—and kept dozing off, requiring the human or dwarf to gently but quickly wake him.

"Whatever shall I do!" the elf practically whined, sounding quite distraught. "I cannot remain awake. Please, let me sleep!"

Aragorn sighed, patting his friend's arm. Such words were extremely uncharacteristic for Legolas, who, as a rule, denied the presence of injuries until they were accidentally made public by a sudden collapse or something of that nature. For the elf to push aside his pride and beg for sleep broke the human's heart. "How I wish that I could, mellon-nin! It is too dangerous, you know this."

Legolas sighed, bringing up a hand to cover his eyes.

Gimli didn't know what to say, saddened at his friend's plight.

"I should be able to sleep with frequent forced wakings," said Legolas, sounding frustrated. "Why do you not allow it?"

"I was about to ask the same question," said Gimli.

"I thought it too soon, given the severity of your injury," said Aragorn. "I thought it wise to keep you awake a while longer."

"I cannot do it," said Legolas, his voice a whisper as his senses drifted. Praying that Aragorn would have mercy on him, he stopped fighting sleep.

Gimli was startled when the elf's hand suddenly slid from his bruised forehead and landed on the ground. The dwarf grabbed the arm and checked for a pulse, sighing with relief when he found it. He looked at his sleeping friend and then to Aragorn, wondering what the human would do.

The human was likewise startled by the abruptness in which sleep had claimed their friend, and he checked Legolas' pulse himself. He laid the elf's arm down gently and fixed the blanket. "We need to wake him very soon," he whispered. "And we must constantly monitor his heartbeat. If it slows markedly, it could be an indication of unconsciousness."

Gimli nodded, studying the many colors that adorned the elf's head.

Aragorn, unable to stop himself, checked Legolas' pulse again.

The dwarf frowned, wondering if Aragorn was being overly fearful. "Is there something that you are not telling me?" he asked.

Aragorn shook his head. "No…he has suffered many head injuries in his life, and I am always fearful when it happens again."

Gimli grinned. "More stories that require telling?"

Aragorn smiled slightly. "Another time would be best; if we become engrossed in a tale, we may let Legolas sleep for too long."

Gimli nodded, watching their injured friend. A sudden sound caught his attention, and he looked towards the cave opening to see that it had started to rain once more.

He desperately hoped that there would not be another thunderstorm...

TBC

Everyone's been going nuts waiting for Saturdays for a new chapter, so I'll try to post another one Wednesday or something! How's that? ;)


	4. Ill Timed Danger

Well, here it is! The promised Wednesday chapter, posted on Tuesday instead! I bet you didn't expect _that_! (watches readers faint) Enjoy! The next one comes on Saturday, as usual! ;)

And now, the limerick!

Legolas: Oh what joy!  
If I only had that elf-boy  
I'd give him hugs and kisses  
And become his Missus  
And make all the other girls yell 'Oy!'

Ha! ;)

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The night was a very long one for the three friends. They lost count how many times they'd woken Legolas, who didn't react to it well. Most of the times he simply made a sound of frustration before falling back to sleep, but other times he showed confusion. They were quite frightened the very first time they woke him; he didn't appear to know his own name.

"Legolas," said Aragorn, squeezing his arm. "Wake, mellon-nin."

Legolas had remained motionless.

"Listen to the human, laddie," said Gimli, trying not to sound alarmed. "Wake up, elf!"

When the Mirkwood Prince remained asleep, Aragorn shook his arm. "Legolas, wake!" he said, more loudly.

The elf finally reacted, to their relief. His eyes scrunched up from the pain that consciousness greeted him with.

"Legolas?" said Aragorn.

"Who?" Legolas replied, groggily.

Gimli gasped and looked at Aragorn.

"Legolas," said the human. "Open your eyes."

After further prodding, Legolas obeyed, but he looked at his friends as if they were strangers.

Gimli was shocked. "Laddie, do you not know your own name? Or who we are?"

The elf made no reply, and Aragorn motioned for Gimli to be quiet for a moment. They watched as Legolas slowly gained his bearings, and the elf eventually blinked and squinted at them, frowning. "Aragorn? What has happened?"

Gimli sighed so loudly that he startled Legolas.

"Gimli?" said the elf.

"Nothing is wrong, Legolas," said Aragorn, gently laying a hand on their injured friend's forehead. "Sleep."

Legolas looked like he wasn't sure whether or not to believe them, but the need to sleep was overpowering and his eyes closed.

"Aragorn," whispered the dwarf. "Was that not proof that he should be kept awake!"

The human shook his head. "No; it merely shows that he was disoriented from being woken so soon. He was not fully awake at first."

Gimli sighed, throwing a worried look at the elf.

By the time morning came, both dwarf and human were tired; neither having gotten any sleep. Legolas, however, slept like the dead between wakings; his injured body deep within slumber. They were therefore surprised when Legolas' eyes suddenly opened a few minutes before they planned to wake him.

"Legolas?" said Aragorn, concerned at the look of confusion and alarm on the elf's face.

The Prince's bright blue eyes scanned the cave for a minute before resting on the human's face. "Orcs," he said.

Gimli jumped to his feet and spun around in a circle, axe raised as he searched for the foul creatures.

Aragorn immediately began grabbing their things, throwing the healing supplies back into his bag. "How close are they?"

Legolas tried to sit up, wincing at the pounding inside his head. "I am…not sure," he gasped.

Gimli, satisfied that an attack wasn't immediately imminent, laid down his axe and helped the injured elf. Despite the urgent situation, he suddenly chuckled.

Aragorn shot a questioning look at the dwarf as he took the blankets off Legolas and quickly stuffed them into Gimli's pack.

Legolas was concentrating so hard on remaining conscious, that he gave no reaction to the dwarf's unexpected show of humor.

Gimli saw that the elf wasn't going to ask what was amusing, so he said, "I finally know what makes dwarves superior to elves."

The statement got through to Legolas despite his pain. "And _that_ is?"

Gimli reached for his friend's cloak and fastened it around the elf's neck. "Common sense. I think _you_ need to wear one of these, laddie!" he said, tapping the helm on his own head. "It would have prevented your injury, and some of your past wounds that Aragorn told me about while you were unconscious!"

If his head hadn't been throbbing so badly, Legolas would've rolled his eyes.

"Take the pack," Aragorn said to the dwarf, reaching down to help Legolas stand.

The elf closed his eyes as his friend pulled him to his feet. His pain increased and his head immediately began to nauseatingly spin. He was unable to stop the sound of distress that passed his lips, and he barely even noticed when his knees buckled.

Aragorn hefted his friend up and held onto him tightly as they quickly made their way to the cave opening.

Legolas was barely able to see where he was going. He leaned heavily against the human, his steps very unsteady.

Gimli ran ahead of his friends, prepared to defend them if he had to. His heart was beating against his ribs at the thought of being attacked with Legolas as such an easy target.

Leaving the mountain, the three friends were relieved to see no orcs, but they could hear them coming.

The sky was very dark, and to their dismay, it began to rain again.

Aragorn quickly helped Legolas further up the path, until they were on top of the cave, where they would hopefully be hidden from the orc's eyes.

Evidence of the previous day's lightening strike could be seen from their location: large pieces of rock—some nearly as big as the dwarf—laid askew.

Picking a location far from the mountain's edge, Aragorn gently sat Legolas down, motioning for Gimli to keep watch.

After throwing an assessing look at Legolas, Gimli obeyed, heading back to the edge.

Aragorn knelt beside the elf, whose eyes were tightly closed as he bonelessly leaned against the boulder behind him. His breath came fast, from the exertion on his weakened body combined with his increased pain. "Are you all right?" the human asked, putting a hand on his arm.

Legolas' eyes remained closed. "Fine," he lied. His voice shook.

Aragorn squeezed his friend's shoulder.

Gimli suddenly rushed over. "They come!" he exclaimed.

Aragorn drew his sword, and the two mortals stood in front of their injured friend, prepared to defend him to the death if any orcs dared come their way…

TBC


	5. Uh Oh

Hey everyone! Here's chapter 5! Chapter 6 comes Tuesday or Wednesday, just like last week! (Don't you feel loved? ROTFL!)

Boromir was a man  
Of Frodo he was not a fan  
He wanted the ring  
To rule everything  
But instead, he got himself canned.

Sorry, Boromir fans! It came out so funny that I couldn't resist! LOL

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The sound of the approaching orcs got louder and louder, and Aragorn suddenly realized with relief that the rain was a blessing; it would prevent the orcs from catching their scent on the wind.

From where he sat, Legolas prayed that the foul creatures wouldn't find them. It terrified him to know that his two greatest friends could lose their lives defending him. He wished that he was able to fight, but the way that his vision was doubling and spinning, he could very well accidentally shoot Aragorn or Gimli.

The sounds from the orcs continued to grow, and Aragorn unconsciously walked forward, to ensure that there would be some distance between Legolas and the creatures should they be found.

Gimli anxiously twirled his axe, occasionally glancing back at Legolas. The air was filled with tension, but it started to lessen as time passed without an attack.

Abruptly, the sounds stopped, and they realized that the orcs had gone into the cave that they had occupied all night.

Aragorn and Gimli looked at each other, words not being needed to convey their shock at how narrowly the three of them had escaped death. Aragorn only hoped that he didn't leave any sign in the cave that anyone had been there.

Turning, they went back to Legolas, who had been watching anxiously, however unfocused.

Aragorn knelt beside him, studying the hideous mass of colors that adorned the elf's head and face. "We need to get off this mountain as quickly as possible," he whispered.

Legolas said nothing, thinking. The human was right; the orcs would stay inside during the daylight hours and come back out at night. But at the slow speed that Legolas knew the three of them would be traveling, it wasn't out of the question for the orcs to eventually find them.

"Legolas?" said Aragorn, concerned at the elf's blank expression.

"We need to travel across the mountain to the side where we entered the cave," said the elf. He winced when his own voice sent waves of pain through his head. "Only then can we descend, to avoid being found—the orcs cannot get through the now-blocked tunnel."

Aragorn nodded, agreeing.

Gimli laughed. "It's good to know that you are still capable of rational thought, laddie."

Legolas smiled, thought it was strained because of his pain. He didn't bother telling the dwarf that rational thoughts were the only kind that he was currently bothering with.

Aragorn realized that he hadn't had a chance to give Legolas more painkilling herbs inside the cave, so he quickly gave him some leaves to chew before helping the elf up again and supporting him as they carefully made their way across the rugged mountain.

The terrain was very rough, and because of Legolas' concussion-affected vision, he slipped more than once. Aragorn caught him each time, to everyone's relief.

It wasn't a very great distance, but by the time they reached the tunnel, Legolas was exhausted and involuntarily slipping from his friend's grasp.

Aragorn gently sat the elf down with a sigh, knowing that his friend could go no further without rest.

Legolas leaned his pounding head on Aragorn's shoulder, eyes closed.

Gimli watched the elf, dismayed to see such a strong being rendered so helpless. He sighed unhappily before going to the blocked tunnel and looking in. All he could see was darkness, and he suddenly realized that this entire situation was his fault.

Aragorn looked at the dwarf when he suddenly gasped. "Gimli?"

"I did it again!"

Aragorn frowned. "Did _what_ again?"

"First I closed the stable door and hurt his arm," said Gimli, pointing to the elf's still-wrapped wrist, which they'd nearly forgotten about, in light of the events. "And now I hurt his head—could have killed him!—by insisting that we explore this mountain!"

Aragorn frowned. "Gimli, you could not have foreseen these events—"

Gimli hung his head. "I feel as if I have shed the blood of a brother."

"Cease your words, Gimli," Legolas cut in, his eyes remaining closed. "My wrist is fine, and my head soon will be. Stop this foolish blame; Aragorn is correct."

Gimli said nothing, sighing as he patted his friend's arm in answer.

They rested for a while, and Aragorn examined Legolas again. The elf looked terrible: the horribly dark bruises on his markedly pale skin make him look otherworldly; the pupils of his eyes were very dilated. His injury was indeed serious, but Legolas made no complaints.

They set off again just as the rain stopped. They descended slowly, for the uneven rocky surface was now quite wet.

Gimli walked on Legolas' other side, tightly grasping his arm to help prevent the elf from slipping.

However, the dwarf didn't succeed.

The three friends weren't far from the bottom when the dizziness that plagued the elf suddenly increased dramatically. He gasped and stumbled to a stop, but Aragorn and Gimli took another step, accidentally pulling Legolas forward. The elf had no balance, thanks to his dizziness, and fell.

The human and dwarf both stopped and automatically took a step back, but then they had to step forward again when Legolas lost his balance. However, it was now too late. The short dwarf slipped as Legolas' weight pulled him down, which caused Aragorn to lose his own footing on the wet rock.

All three of them fell to the rough ground, Aragorn trying to catch Legolas. He only succeeded in keeping hold of his right arm as the elf fell heavily, not having the strength to catch himself.

Gimli landed flat on his back, but quickly rolled to the side, providing the injured elf with a landing pad; if you could call it that.

Legolas gave a cry of pain as his head—the bruised side, naturally—smacked onto Gimli's back.

Aragorn fell to his knees, ignoring the sharp pain caused from the rock-edges. "Legolas!" he exclaimed, carefully rolling him off Gimli.

The elf made no movement and gave no reply, knocked into a half-conscious state from the second blow to his head.

Aragorn quickly checked the elf's pulse, finding it beating fast in response to the sudden jolt.

Gimli scrambled up, panicked at the sight of his motionless friend.

Legolas suddenly groaned then, weakly bringing up his arms to grasp his head.

"Open your eyes," Aragorn urgently said, relieved that his friend was awake. He had to repeat his words before the elf was able to hear him over the relentless pounding in his skull.

Legolas opened his eyes, but quickly closed them when the landscape spun out of control. He didn't even feel his body lurch to the side, following the spin, until the human tightened his grip around him.

"What do we do?" Gimli asked, nervously.

Aragorn sighed, unable to catch a glimpse of Legolas' eyes before the elf had closed them. Looking towards the ground, he prayed that the rest of the descent would be easier.

The dwarf watched Aragorn gently lift the elf into his arms.

"Walk ahead of me," said the human. "Ensure that my path is free of dangers."

Gimli nodded and headed down, looking for the driest and smoothest places to step.

Aragorn followed the dwarf, holding his friend tightly. "Legolas?" he said. "Are you awake, mellon-nin?"

He got no reply.

The dwarf stepped to the ground with a sigh of relief, turning to watch Aragorn carry Legolas the last few dangerous steps.

Aragorn echoed the sigh as he felt the even ground beneath his feet. He carefully laid Legolas down and checked his pulse, gently opening the elf's eyes to check the dilation, which had grown, to his alarm.

"Is he much worse?" Gimli asked.

"It would be easier to tell if he were conscious," Aragorn said. "Though the fact that he is not tells much in itself." He sighed again, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "I hope that you are right, Gimli—that the horses returned home and a search is underway for us. Legolas may require herbs that I do not have with me."

Those were not the words that Gimli wanted to hear.

TBC


	6. Saved!

Hey everyone! Here's chapter 6—the longest one. I could have split it into two chapters, but I had a feeling that some of you would kill me if I did that, especially since it would've had a nasty cliffhanger, ROTFL! ;)

Limerick time!

Faramir's really cute  
And no he's not a brute  
He fights really well  
You really can tell  
But Eowyn grabbed him, shoot!

LOL I'm such a goof...hey that kinda rhymed! ;)

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Aragorn and Gimli walked as fast as they could, hoping to put as much space as possible between themselves and the orcs.

Legolas, being an elf—and an overly thin one, at that—was very light, but the human's arms eventually began aching. He didn't dare shift the elf into a different position though, as the motion that his injured head was already enduring was unsafe enough.

They took a rest a few hours later, and Aragorn laid his friend down gently, immediately trying to wake him. "Legolas?" he said, laying a hand on the side of the elf's face. "Please wake, mellon-nin!"

Gimli watched anxiously, nearly holding his breath.

The elf lay completely motionless.

Aragorn sighed loudly and looked up at the sky, while Gimli lowered his head.

Suddenly, a soft sound caught their attention. Looking at Legolas, they found his eyebrows furrowed.

"Legolas!" Gimli cried, grabbing the elf's arm. "Open your eyes, you stubborn, pointy-eared princeling!"

The elf's eyebrows furrowed deeper, but one corner of his mouth lifted slightly at the dwarf's words. "I'd prefer…to keep them…closed," he said. Pain could clearly be heard in his voice.

Both human and dwarf were saddened at their friend's condition, but overjoyed to hear him speak.

"Forgive me, mellon-nin," said Aragorn. "But I need to see your eyes, to gauge the extent of your concussion."

Legolas sighed, keeping them closed. "Can you not merely accept my word that indeed, it is now worse?" He paused, swallowing. "If I open them, I admit that I shall likely be ill."

Aragorn frowned. Legolas had refused food since his accident—understandably—and Aragorn didn't have the heart to make the elf suffer further, especially something as unpleasant as dry heaves. "All right, my friend. Rest; I will give you something to settle your stomach."

The injured elf made no reply.

"Legolas?" said Aragorn, nervously.

The Mirkwood Prince turned his head slightly. "I am awake."

"Good. Remain that way!" said the human. He took his pack and rummaged through it, taking out the herbs that he'd given the elf the day before. They would take longer to work this time, for he was unable to boil them lest their fire call the orcs in their direction. Taking one of the canteens, he began to crush the leaves and drop them in.

Gimli scooted closer to the elf, laying a hand on his friend's arm. "Is there anything that I can do for you, laddie?"

"No," Legolas whispered.

Gimli sighed, watching as Aragorn leaned closer. The human slid an arm under the elf and pulled him up, holding the canteen to his lips.

Legolas swallowed a mouthful, but as soon as it hit his queasy stomach he turned his head away, raising a hand and clamping it over his mouth.

Gimli quickly scooted around to the elf's other side.

Aragorn felt the elf begin to shake as he fought against his stomach.

Legolas had never felt so ill in his entire life, and he was shocked that he succeeded in keeping the liquid down. As soon as he felt his stomach calm slightly, he let go of his mouth and groped for the canteen, knowing that the more herbs he drank, the quicker his stomach would settle.

Aragorn helped him drink, pulling the canteen away when the elf had drunk enough.

"Do you feel better?" Gimli asked, sympathetically.

Legolas sighed, still feeling shaky. That was the most intense nausea he'd ever felt. "Aye."

"Can you open your eyes now?" asked the dwarf.

Legolas did not think it wise just yet. He felt so dizzy—even with them closed—that he didn't think he'd be able to hold his stomach back again. "Soon," he answered.

Aragorn carefully laid him back down, and he grew puzzled when Legolas started moving his hands, feeling the grass underneath his body. "Where are we?" the elf asked, automatically opening his eyes but quickly re-closing them.

"We left the mountain a few hours ago," Gimli told him.

Legolas frowned, not remembering when he'd passed out.

"Rest," said Aragorn. "We will be off again in a few moments."

A gentle breeze floated past Legolas' face, and his mind drifted. When arms suddenly slid under his body, he was startled. "I can walk!" he said.

Gimli laughed. "Laddie! You cannot even open your eyes!"

In defiance, Legolas did just that. He chose the wrong moment to do so, for at the same time, Aragorn lifted him. The weightless feeling and moving scenery wreaked havoc on his already altered senses, and he couldn't stop the groan that passed his lips.

"Forgive me!" said Aragorn, thinking that he had hurt him.

Legolas was fighting the urge to close his eyes again, trying to will the landscape to stay still. "It was not you," he said to his friend. "Let me down!"

Aragorn frowned. "No."

The elf heard Gimli laugh at Aragorn's reply, and for some reason it angered him. He struggled against the surprised human, causing his headache to increase.

"What are you doing?" Aragorn exclaimed. "Stop this, Legolas! Even if I let you walk, how far could you go? One step?"

To the dwarf's surprise, the human suddenly set Legolas on his feet. The elf immediately reeled backwards, having no balance.

Gimli gave a cry of alarm, fearing that another blow to his head would kill the elf.

Aragorn reached out to grab him and sat the limp elf on the ground, where Legolas lowered his head, clutching it miserably. "Do you now see?" said the human.

Legolas gave a groan of pain and frustration.

Aragorn reached for his pack and took out a few leaves. "Chew these," he said.

Legolas lowered one arm and accepted the herbs without protest, not even making a face at their bitter taste.

Aragorn wrapped an arm around his friend's back and the other under his knees, lifting him so that the uninjured side of the elf's head rested against his shoulder.

Legolas made no more protests, submitting quietly.

The elf's silence troubled the human. "Legolas? Are you all right?"

Gimli inwardly snorted. _What a question!_

"Aye," Legolas answered, sounding embarrassed. "Forgive my foolishness."

Aragorn shook his head. "No need. I only want what is best for you, mellon-nin."

"I know," said the elf.

They walked on in silence, stopping only a few more times and continuing on after dark, until there was no more adequate light.

"Fine time to have no moon," Gimli complained, though part of him was glad to stop.

Aragorn gently sat Legolas down and peered into his face. "How do you feel?"

"The dizziness has begun to lessen," the elf answered.

Aragorn smiled. "That is wonderful, my friend."

"It is indeed!" said Gimli.

Aragorn gently pushed Legolas to lean back against the tree that stood behind him. "Rest. Mayhap you can gain some strength from the forest."

Legolas' eyebrows shot up; he hadn't realized where they were, having kept his eyes closed through the journey.

The tree immediately 'voiced' its concern over the elf's condition.

When Legolas closed his eyes with a smile, his friends' hearts were lightened.

"Fortunate are the elves," said the dwarf.

Aragorn nodded, reaching for Gimli's pack to retrieve their food.

The dwarf and human took turns sleeping and keeping watch over Legolas, waking him frequently through the night. When dawn rose, Aragorn lifted the sleeping elf and they were again on their way.

"Legolas?"

The elf was slightly startled to find himself floating, and he opened his eyes to find Aragorn carrying him. He saw that the sun had recently risen, and looked at his friend. "You let me sleep longer this time," he said, surprised. He remembered it still being mostly dark the last time he'd woken.

"Aye," said the human. "The way you were shifting and making noises in your sleep, it was obvious that you weren't unconscious."

Legolas blinked. "Noises?"

Gimli chuckled. "Indeed. Made us wonder just _what_ you were dreaming!"

Legolas blushed, desperately trying to remember his dreams.

Aragorn couldn't help smiling. "We jest, mellon-nin. How is your head? Has the pain begun yet to lessen?"

Legolas looked around, relieved to be able to see better than he had for the past two days. "Aye, it has, and my vision does not slant as badly."

Aragorn inwardly sighed with relief. "I am glad," he said. "You greatly worried me."

"Twas not my intention," said the elf.

"We know that, laddie!" said Gimli. "Now, hush and go back to sleep."

Legolas chuckled at the dwarf.

By the time afternoon approached, the forest had grown very quiet, and Aragorn looked around warily, wondering at the reason. "Legolas," he whispered.

The elf woke, immediately sensing the tension in the air. "Something nears us."

Aragorn and Gimli stopped, looking through the woods. "Orcs?" the human asked.

"No," said the elf. "Wolves, I believe."

Aragorn strode to the nearest tree, which somehow knew the human's plan. It lowered its lowest branch further, to Gimli's shock.

Aragorn helped the elf sit himself on it, to Legolas' protests. "Stay there!" the human exclaimed.

The protests died on Legolas' lips when the tree pulled the branch up higher and closer to its trunk, using smaller branches to wrap tightly around the elf.

Gimli stared open-mouthed at the astonishing display. He nearly forgot about the impending threat until a sudden growl filled the air.

Legolas anxiously watched, upset that he was again unable to fight. He squirmed within the tree's grasp, but the ancient oak clutched him all the tighter.

Three wolves suddenly ran out of the woods, and faster than lightening, Aragorn threw a dagger, felling one instantly.

Gimli raised his axe, looking behind himself to be sure that Legolas was safely out of reach.

Aragorn slew another wolf with his sword, his arms aching from carrying the injured elf for so many hours. He spun around when he heard Legolas shout his name, to see that the three wolves had suddenly become a dozen. Raising his sword, he knew that it was too late to ward off an attack.

The wolf slammed into him, knocking Aragorn to the ground. Struggling under it, he was taken by surprise when he met with no resistance.

A _shoof_ filled the air, and Aragorn watched arrows fly as he pushed the dead animal off his body. He was shocked that Legolas was shooting—with his concussion—but then he realized that the elf didn't even have his bow.

Standing, Aragorn was met with the best sight that he could've asked to see; Faramir and Gondor's soldiers had arrived, and the Steward was slinging his bow over his shoulder as he rushed towards his King.

Aragorn smiled and clapped Faramir on the shoulder. "Excellent timing, my friend!"

Faramir returned the smile, relieved to find the King whole and uninjured. He looked around, his expression turning worried. "Where is Legolas?"

"Here!" they heard.

Aragorn and Faramir both turned to see Gimli and the soldiers looking up at the struggling elf held captive in the tree.

Faramir frowned, puzzled. He quickly ran to the large oak as Aragorn followed.

"Let him down, tree!" Gimli bellowed. "The danger has passed!"

"What in all of Middle-Earth?" Faramir muttered. "Is he all right?"

"Well…" said Aragorn, with a sigh. "He soon shall be, at least."

When the King neared the tree, the oak began to lower its branch; only letting Legolas go when the man who'd placed the elf in the tree's protection arrived to reclaim him.

Legolas tried to ignore everyone's amused looks. He allowed his headache to distract him from his embarrassment.

"What happened!" Faramir exclaimed, at the sight of the hideous colors adoring the elf's temple, forehead, and side of his cheekbone. The bruise disappeared into his hairline, making it impossible to see where it ended.

Legolas sighed, hating to be the center of attention.

"To answer your question: much," said the King, reaching out to support Legolas.

But Faramir took hold of the elf first, taking the elf's right arm to pull over his own shoulders. He gasped when he saw the bandage encircling Legolas' wrist, but the elf quickly unwrapped it, the tree helping him succeed by holding him steady with its branches.

The soldiers muttered amongst themselves, more shocked even than Gimli. The dwarf had seen evidence of the trees' love for the elf in the past, but this was an unbelievable sight for the humans.

Faramir tried to stop Legolas from removing the bandage.

"I no longer need it," Legolas told him. "It was a mere sprain."

Aragorn nodded at Faramir, agreeing with the elf.

The Steward gently pulled Legolas free of the tree branches and supported the elf's weight.

Horses were brought, and Faramir rode beside the King, watching Legolas nervously.

Aragorn knew that the elf and Steward had become good friends as they'd worked together to restore Ithilien. He knew that Faramir had likely been most worried about Legolas when the horses had returned to Gondor riderless.

Legolas was immensely relieved as they began the journey back. He rested against Aragorn with his eyes closed, trying to force back the dizziness that had grown while he'd sat up in the tree looking down at everyone.

"Legolas?" said Faramir.

"Yes?"

"Well…?" said the human.

Smiling slightly at Faramir's impatience, the elf told him of the disastrous events.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Night eventually fell, but they rode on, wanting to get the injured elf safely home.

Legolas was asleep, and he didn't wake when they arrived. Aragorn's horse knelt, and he carried the elf into the palace.

Faramir and Gimli—the dwarf very relieved to be back—followed. They brought the elf to his chamber, and Aragorn went to the healing wing to retrieve the supplies and herbs that he needed.

When Legolas opened his eyes the next morning, he was slightly confused to find himself lying in his bed, last remembering being in the forest.

"How do you feel?" he heard.

Legolas blinked his eyes, to find Aragorn sitting beside his bed. He assessed himself for a moment, relieved to find that his pain had lessened. "I am all right."

The King gave him an exasperated look, not believing his words.

Legolas smiled slightly, before noting that they were alone. "Where are Faramir and Gimli?"

"I sent Gimli to bring back breakfast," said the human. "Please tell me that you can now eat?"

Legolas found that his stomach felt fine, and he was, in fact, hungry. "I believe that I can."

Aragorn smiled, relieved at the elf's words. "I sent Faramir for more herbs. They should both be back shortly."

Before he even finished speaking, Faramir and Gimli both came in the door.

"Ah!" cried the dwarf. "He wakes!"

They watched as Gimli strode over and placed a tray on the bed. "Eat it all, laddie."

Legolas looked at the food, suddenly famished. "I shall try my best," he said.

Gimli smiled, satisfied.

Faramir was relieved at the elf's improvement, and he placed Gimli's second tray—which he'd carried—on a table, handing Aragorn a pouch of herbs.

"How is your vision?" Aragorn asked the elf.

"I can see well again," said the elf. "And the dizziness has greatly lessened."

Aragorn smiled, though he was troubled to know that some dizziness still remained. He picked the tray off the bed and handed it to Gimli, who was puzzled until he saw Aragorn gently pull the elf into a sitting position and rearrange the pillows to hold him up.

Legolas tried not to show his discomfort, hiding the fact that the upright position increased the dizziness again.

Gimli sat the tray on the elf's lap and handed Legolas a spoon.

The elf expected the bowl of broth, but he was overjoyed to also find a plate of eggs, and started with those first.

Aragorn poured some herbs into the bowl of broth. "Do not eat quickly, Legolas," he cautioned. "Give your stomach time to accept it. You should drink this first."

Legolas had already eaten some of the eggs and swallowed them slowly, realizing the truth in the human's words. The herbs were obviously nausea-preventers, and Legolas picked up the bowl, grateful that his stomach had—so far—accepted the bite of egg.

Everyone watched him drink the broth. Faramir reached out to rest his hand under the bowl, preventing the weakened elf from possibly dropping it.

Legolas drank it without incident; giving a contented sigh at the comforting feel of the rich, warm liquid.

"_Now_ you can eat!" said Gimli, taking the bowl.

"May I have a looking glass?" Legolas asked.

The odd question took them by surprise.

"What?" said Faramir.

But Aragorn had already walked towards the bathing chamber, and he took one of the looking glasses off the wall, bringing it back to the bedroom and holding it before his friend's face.

Legolas' eyebrows shot up despite himself as he beheld the damage wrought by the piece of stone. He raised his hand and carefully prodded the darkest spot with a wince. The area of bruising was larger than his entire hand.

His three friends were sympathetic, but they couldn't help inwardly smiling at the childlike expression of utter shock on the elf's face.

Legolas looked at them and lowered his hand, turning his head slightly to view all of the damage. "I did not know that it was this bad," he admitted.

Aragorn nodded. "Do not even _attempt_ to talk me into letting you out of bed today. Or tomorrow. Or the day after!" he said. "The effects of your concussion may linger longer than you expect."

Legolas sighed, but he said nothing. The proof of Aragorn's words stared back at him through the looking glass. The dark bruises made his pale skin look ghostly. _I am lucky to have survived!_ he realized.

"Fret not," said Gimli, feeling sorry for his friend. "As soon as you recover, we can try again!"

Faramir blinked. "Try what?"

"Our trip!" said the dwarf.

Legolas smiled and looked at Aragorn.

The King chuckled. "If we wait until next month, when Arwen returns from Imladris, mayhap you can join us, Faramir."

Faramir's eyebrows rose. "Indeed?"

The King nodded, and Legolas smiled.

Faramir nodded back. "I believe that is wise," he said, eyes twinkling. "Then, when the three of you need saving, I'll already be there."

Faramir's unexpected words made Gimli choke on his food, and everyone laughed.

TBC ;)


	7. Ditch the Dwarf!

Hey everyone! Here's the last chapter, and the last limerick! Actually, it's really the _first_ limerick, since I wrote this one a while ago. I think I posted it somewhere already, but here it is again, in case people missed it:

There once was an elf-lord named Elrond  
Who accidentally fell into a pond  
His children all laughed  
Thinking him daft  
And so, Elrond dyed all their hair blond

LOL! ;) Hey, who else is getting a blizzard tonight and tomorrow, like me? That'll be fun!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Legolas found that Aragorn had been totally correct regarding his concussion's severity. It took him longer to recover than he expected. The bruises faded, but headaches remained. He kept his pain a secret from everyone, retrieving painkilling herbs himself when he needed them.

He unexpectedly continued to suffer spells of dizziness, usually when he moved too fast. It happened once while walking down a flight of stairs, but he'd grabbed onto the rail and saved himself from falling. He was relieved that no one had been there to see it.

When the Queen returned from visiting her former home, the four friends planned their trip.

The day that they planned to leave, Legolas woke finally feeling fully recovered. He dressed and took his pack, slipping some painkilling herbs into it just in case.

When he went down to the stables, he found Faramir and Gimli already there. They smiled at the elf as Legolas took his horse out of the stall.

"You look well," said Faramir.

"I _feel_ well," Legolas replied. "And I look forward to a trip without mishaps!"

They laughed, and Aragorn soon joined them.

"This time, we truly _will_ have an enjoyable trip!" said Gimli.

"Aye, as long as we keep away from caves," said Aragorn.

Legolas grimaced at the memory. He looked down at Gimli as the dwarf held his hand up to be pulled onto the horse, but then looked at Faramir. "I know how we can avoid mishaps on this journey."

"Oh?" said the Steward.

Legolas nodded, not helping Gimli up. "Aye. Leave the dwarf here!"

With that, Legolas rode off.

Aragorn laughed and Faramir's jaw dropped.

Gimli huffed, walking to Aragorn and holding out his hand to ride with the human instead.

Aragorn looked at him, at Legolas, and then back again, throwing a grin at the dwarf before suddenly galloping after the elf.

Gimli watched them, his mouth dropping open. "What? Legolas! Aragorn! Stop!"

Faramir laughed as he watched, and the sound of Legolas' own laughter drifted back to them.

The elf halted about fifty feet away, gesturing for Gimli to come.

Gimli shook his head and ran to catch up, muttering the whole way.

THE END

Well, there it is, another story finished! Here's a preview for my next one, which I've been DYING to post, (the reason for my sudden twice-weekly postings of 'Brother', lol!) The title of this one is 'Torrent':

Fade in…

_Legolas shuffled wearily into his bedchamber, soaked to the skin. He'd been outside since before dawn of the previous day, helping to dam several rivers that were overflowing in the abnormally-wet autumn. Winter was not far away, so it was a very cold rain. Legolas shivered, normally not bothered by nature's chill, but being drenched non-stop for the past two days in the windswept rain was enough to make even an elf feel cold, especially this time of year._

_Closing the door behind himself, he tiredly leaned against it, eyeing his soft, warm bed. If he hadn't been so wet, he would've thrown himself onto it without hesitation. The sound of heavy rain caught his attention and he looked towards the balcony, knowing that scores of elves were still out there, desperately trying to control the flooding_...

Scene changes…

_The twins were both woken by an incredibly loud crash, and they dove out of their beds, automatically rushing to the other's room._

_"What was that!" Elrohir shouted, his heart pounding frantically. "Where did it come from?"_

_"I do not know!" Elladan exclaimed, likewise shaken. "Come!"_

_They both ran down the hall of the Mirkwood palace towards their father's room, bursting in to find it empty. Surprised, they said nothing as they ran for Legolas' room next, likewise finding no one there._

_"Elladan_..._" said Elrohir, fear gripping his heart._

_Wordlessly, the older twin took-off running, with Elrohir following behind._

_They made their way through crowds of elves, everyone trying to find out what had happened._

_Heredil suddenly grabbed their shoulders from behind them, moving forward. "I cannot find Thranduil or Legolas!" he said, nervously. "Have you seen them?"_

_"No," said Elladan. "Our father was not in his room either!"_

_Heredil paled…_

Scene changes…

_A groan filled the air, but the blond-haired elf who emitted it didn't even realize he'd done so, as he lay unable to move thanks to the pain that gripped his body._

_Thranduil's mind spun dizzily as he tried to remember what had happened. He found that his eyes were closed, and he couldn't understand what was causing his pain. Dragging his eyes open, he found himself lying on his stomach. _

_"Legolas!" he shouted, pushing himself upright. Rather, he tried to shout, but it came out as more of a croak. He immediately fell back down again when the pain intensified greatly, and he couldn't hold back a startled cry. His entire left arm screamed at him in agony, and his head throbbed with each beat of his heart. "Legolas…" he called, weakly._

_He received no answer, and Thranduil closed his eyes for a second, breathing deeply. He winced when he felt a rib shift, and carefully maneuvered onto his right side with a groan.Wincing, he began to drag himself with his uninjured arm, trying to find his son. His entire body hurt, his left leg worse than the other. There was a long, bleeding gash on it, but he did not think it broken._

_The King's hand suddenly encountered a piece of cloth, and he found that it belonged to someone's arm. He grabbed the hand, before desperately feeling the body's clothes in an attempt to identify him. He found it to be his son, and nervously felt for a pulse, his own heart hammering with fear. It took a few seconds, but he finally felt a weak beat beneath his fingers_. _"Legolas! Please wake, ion-nin!"_

_There was no reaction from the younger elf, and Thranduil laid his spinning head on the ground in dismay. He felt his consciousness slipping, and just before the blackness reclaimed him, he realized something._

_Where was Elrond?_

_xxxxxxxxxxxx_

Ha! My best preview ever, I say! ;) 'Torrent' will be posted next Saturday, after a snippet which will be posted Tuesday or Wednesday. Don't forget to tell me what you thought of Blood of a Brother's ending! ;)


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